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Governor of Victoria
The Governor of Victoria is the representative in the Australian state of Victoria of its monarch, Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia and is one of the Governors of the Australian states. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level. The Governor's office and official residence is Government House next to the Royal Botanic Gardens and surrounded by Kings Domain in Melbourne. The current Governor of Victoria is former judge Alex Chernov. Powers In accordance with the conventions of the Westminster system of parliamentary government, the Governor nearly always acts solely on the advice of the head of the elected government, the Premier of Victoria. Nevertheless, the Governor retains the reserve powers of the Crown, and has the right to dismiss the Premier. Role of Governor The Governor of Victoria is appointed by the Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Premier of Victoria, to act as her representative as Head of State in Victoria. The Governor acts "at the Queen's pleasure", meaning that the term of the Governor can be terminated at any time by the Queen acting upon the advice of the Premier. Since the Australia Acts of 1986, it is the Governor, and not the Queen, who exercises all the powers of the Head of State, and the Governor is not subject to the direction or supervision of the Monarch, but acts upon the advice of the Premier. Upon appointment, he becomes a Viceroy. The Governor's main responsibilities fall into three categories - constitutional, ceremonial and community engagement. Governor's Personal Standard I n 1984, the Personal Standard of the Governor of Victoria was changed to the State Flag of Victoria, with the blue background replaced by gold, and red stars depicting the Southern Cross. Above the Southern Cross is the Royal Crown. Previously, the Standard used by Victorian Governors after 1870 had been the Union Jack with the Badge of the State of Victoria emblazoned in the centre. Between 1903 and 1953, the Tudor Crown was used on the State Flag and Governor's Standard, and this was changed to the present crown in 1954. The Governor’s Standard is flown at Government House and on vehicles conveying the Governor. The Standard is lowered over Government House when the Governor is absent from Victoria. Related offices There is also a Lieutenant-Governor and an Administrator. The Chief Justice of Victoria is ex-officio the Administrator, unless he or she is the Lieutenant-Governor, in which case, the next most senior judge is the Administrator. The Lieutenant-Governor takes on the responsibilities of the Governor when that post is vacant or when the Governor is out of the State or unable to act. The Administrator takes on those duties if both the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor are not able to act for the above reasons. Australian-born governors The first Australian- (and Victorian-) born Governor of Victoria was Sir Henry Winneke (appointed 1974). With the exceptions of Dr Davis McCaughey (b. Ireland), Professor David de Kretser (b. Ceylon) and incumbent Alex Chernov (b. Lithuania), all subsequent governors have been Australian-born.